Brenda Cheer - ERIC Nurse

I'm the ERIC Nurse and am the first person to hold this post. I started working as ERIC Nurse in May 2013, but I was already familiar with the charity, having done freelance work as an ERIC trainer for some years before that.

The ERIC Nurse role was created to find ways to improve early intervention into childhood continence problems. I've spent the last three years striving to increase awareness of children’s bladder and bowel health, by designing easy-to-understand information for parents and providing training for healthcare professionals and early years workers. I’ve also produced a generic children’s continence care pathway, which ERIC is promoting as a model of best practice.

I was truly honoured to be shortlisted for - and then win! - a Nursing Times Award 2016 for this early intervention work. Continence nurses work in an unglamorous profession but we love what we do and we're passionate about the children in our care. The Nursing Times Award recognised ERIC's work in the field, but also the work of children’s continence nurses everywhere.

Whilst the ERIC Nurse project finished in May 2016, I continue to work part-time with ERIC. I’m proud of what we've achieved so far and believe that together we make a big difference to children’s lives.

This special interest day located in the South West aims to promote understanding of a range of bladder conditions, highlight the impact of these conditions on the every day lives of children and provide an update on the current MultiCath trial.